fish dying please help!!! repeted easier to read

[karatechic007]

i apolagize for the font of the earlier post....it was almost impossible to read... this is an exact copy...

my fish are dying! i have a 15 gallon tank that has been established for about 2 years and i cleaned it about 3 months ago with 1 gourami, 1 blueberry tetra, 1 black molly, 1 algea eater, 1 female guppy, 2 albino catfish, and 4 tiger barbs (about to be 3 i used to also have 1 bleeding heart tetra, 1 catfish (i dont know what kind....it swam around the bottom of the tank, was silver and black, and was about 4 inches long, plus maybe 3 inch antenas (sp?) ), one more tiger barb, and one green barb. they died, and i dont know why. the bleeding heart died first, i didnt see anything wrong with it, it was possibly age. the green barb died next, i didnt see anything wrong with it. the catfish's fins looked clamped together and before it died it started swimming slower and slower, and the tiger barb looked slightly bloated...before it died it was started swimming slower and slower and then couldnt seem to stay upright, and swam in circles....2 of my tiger barbs look bloated now and are starting to have the same problems as the one that died. i have tried putting in 3 different kinds of medicines, 2 in tablet form and one in liquid form. the liquid is "a fast, effective cure for tropical fish parasite infections like ick, etc." and was recomended by someone. one of the tablet kinds is for parasites, and i have forgotten what the other was for... i have administered them according to the dosage instructions on the package, and this morning i put in smaller than recomended doses of all of them at once can someone tell me if they know anything about why my fish are dying?!?
[glow=][/glow]

[Mudd]

hmm well the tank sounds a little overstocked to start off
have you tested for ammonia??? cause i would have to imagine unless you have one heck of a filter it isnt able to sutain that quantity of fish in it ..

also i would never recommend using more that one medicine at a time ...

im sure anyone who may have moer in depth knowledge is going to need your water parameters and all that ..

[karatechic007]

all of these fish died within a week and a half... i will get ammonia test strips and post the results....what are water parameters?

[Mudd]

whats the ..
PH level
water temperature
NitrItes level
NitrAtes level

[karatechic007]

also the algea eater is a pleco, and the albino catfish are actually albino cories....i forgot their names earlier

[joe kool]

First off .. unless it speficially says you can (melafix pimafix) NEVER mix medications unless you're like a chemist and know all the ins and outs' of all the ingredients! do a 50% water change immediatly then add fresh carbon! to remove all the meds. (hoplfully you removed the carbon prior to medicating if not thats' probably why it didn't work in the first place.) If you used several diffrent meds already (properly) they its' time to get some extreme meds like Bionox (jungle "clears severe fungus and bacteria related problems") http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products.../Itemdy00.aspx

or paragon (aquatronics ) or clout (aquarium products)for parasite
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products.../Itemdy00.aspx



have you change anything lately .. food heating ect... .. and you really should do water changes more frequently ... 6-8 weeks max not 3 months

[karatechic007]

i have not changed anything in a whil...... i did a 50% water change, my temperature was 74 before the change....i will post another reply with current temparature, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as soon as i buy some test strips

[Damon]

Thats the best route, but I can almost assuredly tell you your ammonia and nitrite readings will be high. The tank is overstocked. The pleco doesn't belong in a tank that size nor do the barbs. The tetras you have should be kept in groups of 5 or more. Any less and they stress out which can lead to disease.

[Fishfirst]

yeah the tank is overstocked... and with that water change it probably destroyed enough of the nitrosomas and nitro bacter to start an ammonia spike in the tank.

[joe kool]

and you need to bring that temp up to atleast 76 ... closer to 78

[karatechic007]

well, i guess its not quite so overstocked now....only one barb survived...all the rest of the fish seem to be doing fine....the pleco is only about 3 inches long....and i cant post the amonia and nitrate and nitrite levels now....i dont have the money to buy the test strips right now...once i get them i will post the results though....thanks to everyone for your help....im kind of an idiot about fish....maybe i shouldnt buy any more seeing as how just about everything in the tank is wrong...

[joe kool]

don't give up ...

it's a learning curve .. we all experienced it at sometime (unless we were lucky enough to have a friend or family member to guide us early on) just learn from your mistakes and all will be good. I'd wait untill you can get the testing materials before you buy anymore fish though. If you end up with no fish just keep feeding "the tank" a little and that will keep the bacteria going untill you can get the "goods" you need

Just be patient and get it set up right over time and you'll be fine

if you have any questions feel free to PM me

Later

[(RC)]

Do 3G water changes every day for a week . Make sure your water is the same temp and PH. Treat the water with chlorine remover if you have chlorine in your water. You will amazed how many problem good clean water will solve.


RC

[Fish n chips]

im kind of an idiot about fish....maybe i shouldnt buy any more seeing as how just about everything in the tank is wrong...








Dont give up thats why were here

[Damon]

Take a sample of your aquarium water to your lfs. They should test it for you for free. Some do charge $1.00 to test it though.

[karatechic007]

my last tiger barb is coming down with the same symptoms that the others exhibited...i dont think he will last long....

[Lydia]

he died